This year participants and guests of Odessa International Film Festival for the eighth time have walked by the red carpet.

The grand opening ceremony was traditionally held at Odessa National Opera and Ballet Theatre. The guests were welcomed by the mayor of Odessa Gennadiy Trukhanov. The mayor thanked the organizers of the festival, noting that Odessa International Film Festival is a landmark event in the cultural life of our city, which has won over these years the reputation of intellectual cinema’s fest.

This year, 120 films among 911 applications from 81 countries have been selected for the contest program of the festival. Within 9 days, the jury will be selecting the best works in various nominations. The guests will have an opportunity to enjoy exclusive premieres of films, master classes by the world's leading filmmakers and feel unique atmosphere of the festival.